Job Quick Sand - What Do You Do When Things Go Sideways?
We are on a job right now where we are in a bit of job quick sand and nothing can go right. We have been working with this client for years on a number of projects but this is the biggest one we've done. A bunch of tile in the kitchen, painting kitchen cabinets, and replacing all their doors. Fairly straight forward. It all started with something they didn't like about the tile layout in one section. No big deal easy fix. Then they were nit picking the paint job before it was done. Still not that big of a deal. Then it started when the doors we ordered were delivered damaged. We were only doing one at a time but the door they asked us to install was in their master bath. Now they don't have a door till the replacements come in. Then they started asking for add on tasks but complaining about the price. Then they approved a quote for gutters but I guess the wife wanted vinyl and the husband wanted aluminum. He comes home and flips out because his wife approved vinyl gutters. Then the replacement doors arrived and and were the wrong ones. All the while the husband calls me everyday at the end of the day to discuss the plan. Some of this is our fault, some of this is out of our control but either way it's putting stress on the team and myself. What do you guys do when you start to get in that quick sand?Using Claude API and Facebook/Instgram API For Social posting
Curious if anyone else here has implemented API's into their websites. I just figured out how to enable Claude API and Facebook/Instgram API's to automaticall generate instagram/facebook descriptions, alt tags, and hashtags by clicking a button. Then I can click another button to uplaod directly to FB and IG. It's made my image gallery uploads and social uploads to my IG and FB pages a breeze. Huge game changer! I even have my stats in my site now and can comment on posts and DM's all through my site without having to go into my social platforms anymore. If anyone would like help with this, please let me know, would be glad to walk you through it.How Fast Do You Pick Up a Phone Call or Call Someone Back After a Missed Call?
Curious how everyone here handles this, because a new Jobber survey of recent homebuyers turned up a stat that stuck with me: 15% had to follow up repeatedly just to get a response from a contractor 9% never heard back at all Losing potential business due to something that is not a pricing problem or a skill problem should be a wake up call. In a world where 75% of new homeowners hire a pro within their first two years of buying, being the one who calls back first might be the easiest job you win all week! So, what's your business standard? Do you answer within a certain time frame or let it go to voicemail and call back same day? Are there systems set up so nothing slips through the cracks? 👉 Recent Homebuyer Report: It's got homeowner quotes on what made them trust (or ditch) a contractor, plus a breakdown of how each generation actually finds a pro.What Do You Do To Minimize Workers Comp Claim Exposure?
I had an employee that was with me for maybe 5 weeks that I was going to let go (wasn't meshing well with the team, not very coachable) and then he "pulled his back" on a job site picking something up incorrectly. He even said he went to pick up a heavy object sideways and with one arm. He's been on workers comp 10 months and between treatment and his compensation, the claim is over $100k! My company is in California so we probably have the least favorable laws for companies. My insurance guy said we did everything right. Sent him to a facility right away to be evaluated, called workers comp. Since then we have implemented a "buddy lifting" training. My insurance guy also told me that even if we documented that he has a history of doing things incorrectly, that he would still be in the workers comp system. So my question to you guys - what measures do you take to prevent something like this from happening? Do you have regular safety meetings? Trainings? What do those look like?Has Anyone Tried Using AI for Mock Jobs Scenarios/Simulations?
As a new entrepreneur without clients yet, I've been using AI to run mock business scenarios and simulations to build experience and sharpen my processes. I've used it for logistics coordination, compliance reporting, project management, administrative support, client communications, scheduling challenges, and document management. It's been a useful way to practice decision-making, identify gaps in my systems, and gain confidence before working with actual clients. Just thought I'd share the idea. If you haven't tried using AI for business simulations yet, it may be a useful exercise while you're building your company and preparing for future opportunities.
Can I test a few visual/ad ideas for home service businesses?
I’m new here and trying to learn more about how home service businesses get customers outside of referrals. A lot of the work I do is around visual content and lead generation: better job photos, before/after posts, ad creatives, short videos, simple landing pages, and lead lists. I’m not here to hard pitch anyone. I’d honestly rather test a few ideas and get feedback from people who are actually running service businesses. If anyone has a business where the work is solid but the online presentation or lead flow could be better, I’d be open to taking a look and making a few sample ideas. Could be a before/after post, a Meta ad concept, a better way to show job photos, or a small lead-gen angle. No pressure. I’m mostly trying to learn what would actually be useful instead of guessing from the outside.What do you do with a customer that wants you to remove protection everyday?
i got an interesting one - going forward I can definitely put this in the contract but wondering how you guys would handle this. So we are doing a remodel and the bathroom is deep in to their house. I had told them that floor protections would be down for the duration of the project but we would clean them every day. After the first day, the customer told us to take them all down and they expected them down every day. Now we already demo-ed their shower so it's not like I'm going to walk off this job. This particular customer was also getting very hung up on language in the quote regarding stuff that usually gets sorted out onsite (like which tile is going in the back of a 12x12 niche) and we also had to get a change order to do some reframing because the wall framing was basically gone. Would you guys make an issue out of this with them or bite the bullet and take the learning lesson? I should have def put it in the contract but every time I tell someone the protections will stay down, they usually don't go back on their "word" or acknowledgment or whatever you want to call it.How I Finally Delegated Estimating (Without Hiring Another Person)
For years, estimating was the one thing I couldn’t take off my plate. We changed the org chart. We hired roles. Delegated everything we could. But estimating? That was always me. Even if I wasn’t doing anything else in the business... I was still stuck quoting jobs. It was the bottleneck I couldn’t fix—until now. I built a ChatGPT-powered estimator trained with my systems, my pricing, and my language. It asks the right questions, runs the math, and delivers estimates like I would—without me being involved. Now I’m no longer the bottleneck. Customers get quick answers. I get my evenings and weekends back. Want to build your own? Map out your estimating logic. Plug it into ChatGPT. Test and refine. If you're stuck working all day and doing estimates at night and on Saturdays anddddd, sometimes even Sunday mornings when everyone's sleeping—this might be your way out. Heres my direct Zoom link if you'd like to learn more: https://calendly.com/ryaan-besthandymancompany/bh-plan-phone-consultation
